In an ominous sign that an eruption could be on the way, shocking images show thick clouds of white steam billowing out of the Bali volcano.
Bali’s National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) said the plume was observed rising 200m above Agung’s north and northeast slopes this morning.
Øystein L. Andersen, a volcano enthusiast living in Indonesia, tweeted: “Steam-plume is also visible today. Looks quiet up there, but seismicity under the volcano is still high.”
Mount Agung has been rocked by hundreds of earthquakes a day since the volcano alert was raised to its maximum level almost a month ago.
Between midnight and 6am today (October 18), Agung was struck by 186 earthquakes.
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Of these, 40 were shallow volcanic quakes, 116 were deeper quakes and 30 were local tectonic tremors.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has extended the state of emergency on the island until October 16.
Mount Agung has not erupted since 1963, but volcanologists now believe an eruption could happen at any time.
Dr Janine Kripper, who has been monitoring Mount Agung closely for weeks, said an eruption is still “more likely than not”.
But she stressed that volcanic eruptions are notoriously difficult to predict. “There are too many unknowns, even with the best technology,” she said.
More than 180,000 Balinese locals have abandoned their homes to escape the threat of eruption, according to Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika.
Official estimates suggest no more than 150,000 people have moved to evacuation camps, while about 30,000 others are staying with friends or family elsewhere on the island.
Bali is a popular holiday destination and the island’s Tourism Hospitality Taskforce is urging tourists not to cancel their travel plans.
“Local authorities have assessed that the main tourist areas of Kuta, Legian, and Nusa Dua, at present, do not face serious danger of any immediate impact in the event of an eruption,” said a spokesperson.
Bali officials have stressed that the region of Karangasem is the only area expected to be severely impacted by an eruption.
The UK Government has encouraged Brits in Bali to stay out of the 7.5-miles exclusion zone surrounding Mount Agung and to heed the advice of local authorities.